Pope John Paul II will undoubtedly leave his legacy on not just the Roman Catholic Church but the rest of the world. His leadership and message reached across oceans to people living on every continent.

Now, hundreds of cardinals aim to choose a pontiff to attempt to fill the pope's shoes. As the world mourns his passing, cardinals focus on business at hand as they review financial statements before conclave to determine the next pope to lead the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics.

The coming weeks will ultimately set the tone, and to some extent, the direction of the Catholic Church.

Conclave is the Roman Catholic's version of an election. Conclave derives from the Latin word "cum" meaning with and "clavis" meaning key.

The papal election of this nature began in 1274, and it is believed that the Holy Spirit guides the process of the conclave.

Cardinals have many responsibilities to the church, but their most crucial is participating in choosing the next pope. Reportedly, there are 117 cardinals eligible to be involved in the conclave.

It will begin Monday and will continue until a new pontiff is elected by papal balloting. Cardinals will be confined to Vatican City until their decision is completed.

According to one online source, John Paul II was the 265th pope beginning with Saint Peter although the history of a "pope" is rather cloudy.

What matters is that today, the pope is the highest legislative and executive authority in the Catholic Church and is considered to be the successor of St. Peter. The position is imperative to the Catholic Church and its connection to the the apostles.

All eyes will be on the Vatican next week, as if they weren't already, as the world awaits a new name and face.

The Courier is working on a story about opinions from local Catholic Churches concerning what they hope for in a new pope.

As always e-mail editor@couriernews.com with any suggestions or story ideas.

Sources for this editorial include: The Associated Press, All Headline News and the Catholic Almanac Online.